Combination watch and protector



April 1, 1941. J PUJQL 2,235,650

COMBINATION WATCH AND PROTECTOR Filed July 23, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR A; BERT J PuJo;

ATTORNEY Aprifi 1, 19%. A. J. PUJQL 2,236,650

COHBIHATION WATCH AND PROTECTOR Filed July 23,. 1 40 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR 14455427 J. P010;

1 I BY ATTO NEY Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED COMBINATION WATCH ANDPROTECTOR Albert J. Pujol, Astoria, Long Island, N. Y., assignor toCartier, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJuly 23, 1940, Serial No. 346,895

3 'laims.

This invention is a combination watch and protector adapted for use,more particularly, in connection with wrist, lapel, fob and locketwatches. These kinds of watches are generally worn in a more or lessunprotected manner where they are liable to be subjected to directcontact with extraneous objects, resulting in breaking of the crystal ofthe watch or damage to the same through direct shock or jar.

The present invention, generally speaking, provides a housing for thewatch, so constituted as to normally enclose and effectually protect thelatter, but adapted, at the will of the operator, to be opened to exposethe watch to view or to permit winding of the same,

According to this invention, the usual watch movement is enclosed withina conventional case which is in turn positioned within a protectivehousing. This housing preferably comprises a pair of oppositely cuppedsections pivoted to one another and adapted to be moved on their pivotsfrom a closed position, in which they entirely enclose and conceal thewatch, to an open position wherein the watch is exposed to view. Thewatch may be mounted in a substantially rigid manner within the housingor may be pivoted therein, so that it may be swung outwardly on a singlepivot to project partially beyond the confines of the housing.Alternatively, the watch may be pivoted on a link which is in turnpivoted within the housing to permit the watch to be swung bodily on thelink and pivotally moved with respect thereto into a position whollyexteriorly of the housing. The pivotal movement of the watch in eithercase may be manually accomplished or it may be brought aboutautomatically upon the opening of the housing, as will be hereinaftermore fully explained.

By preference the pivoted sections of the housing are preferablyoperable by a pair of opposing finger pieces spring impelled to normallyforce the housing sections into closed positions, but with the housingsections biased so that they will open when the finger pieces aremanually operated to permit them to do so.

The watch, its housing sections and the operating finger pieces may beconveniently supported on an appropriate foundation piece associatedvwith a wrist encircling strap, as in the case of a wrist watch, or mayhave attached thereto any suitable mounting as in the case of a lapelwatch, fob watch, locket watch or the like.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will beapparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate different practical embodiments ofthe invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understoodas illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the structure as shown in Figures 1-3,showing the device in closed position.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of constructionshowing the parts of the device in" open condition.

Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 65 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line I'I of Figure 3 showing theparts in larger scale in the interest of clearness.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures l4, 6 and 7, the wholestructure is mounted upon a foundation piece I in the form of anelongated strip, the opposite ends of which are bifurcated to formoppositely projecting fingers 2. The strip is of resilient metal andconsequently the fingers 2 constitute, in efiect, spring fingers. Setintc the bifurcations between these fingers, and soldered in placetherein, are strips 5. These pass through curled ends of the wrist bandor strap 6 adapted to encircle the wrist of the wearer to support thedevice thereon. The spring fingers 2 are cut away, as shown at I, toincrease their resiliency and the strips 3 are attached between the cutaway portions 1 and the bases of the respective bifurcations, so as notto interfere with the resilient character of the remainder of the lengthof each spring finger.

Each of the strips 3 has an extending boss 8 and the bosses 8 of thesetwo strips support the opposite ends of a hinge pin 9 which extends forslightly more than the full length of the foundation piece I and on thishinge pin are pivoted two housing sections I0 and I I.

The housing sections I0 and II are, in the preferred form of theinvention, similar to the two halves of a clam and they are pivoted onthe hinge pin 9 to open and close. To this end the section It isprovided with two spaced apart downwardly extending hinge portions I2embracing the hinge pin 9, while the section I I has two similar hingeportions l3 which likewise embrace said hinge pin for the purpose ofpivotally mounting the two clam shell sections for opening and closingmovement. Embracing the hinge pin 9 between the hinge portions I2 is asleeve 14 which carries near its opposite ends two upwardly extendingposts l5 and on these posts are integrally formed platform rests IS,located within the housing and adapted to support a watch I1 in a mannerpresently to be described.

A pin I8 bridges the space between the two posts l5 and is anchored atits opposite ends therein. Around this pin is coiled a spring I9, theopposite ends 20 of which project in opposite directions and bearagainst the inner faces of the sections It) and II, as shown in Figures6 and 7, and tend to bias these sections in an outer direction, so thatthey will open when permitted to do so.

Carried by the strips 3, exteriorly of the sections l and II, aretransverse pins 2| and on the lateral extensions of these pins arepivoted finger pieces 22. These finger pieces have toes 23 which projectto engage ofiset abutments 24 on the exterior faces of the clam shellsections l0 and II and in so doing extend past and in contact with theends of the spring fingers 2 in such manner as to place these springfingers under bending stresses at all times. The spring fingers thusreact against the toes 23, as will be apparent from Figure 1, in amanner to elevate the free ends of the toes, force them against theabutments 2d, and thus force the clam shell sections into closedposition, for the power of the spring fingers 2 is greater than and isadapted to thus overbalance the opening force which the spring 19 exertson the clam shell sections.

In Figure 3 the finger pieces 22 are shown in full lines in their normalpositions and the section H3 is likewise shown in its closed position infull lines. If the finger pieces 22 are forced toward one another topartake of the dotted line position of Figure 3, the toes 23 will beretracted downwardly, so that the spring 19 can open the clam shellsections, and render the watch within the housing visible. As soon asthe finger pieces are released, the spring fingers 2 will return them tothe full line position of Figure 3 and close the clam shell sections.

The watch Il may be secured within a housing in any appropriate way. Itmay be mounted rigidly therein or pivotally. In Figures 3. 6 and '7 thepreferred construction is illustrated. Here one of the supportingplatforms I is provided at its remote end with a hinge member 25 and tothis hinge member is pivoted a link 25 while the watch H is pivoted atZl to the other end of this link. The normal position of the watch is asshown in full-lines in Figure 3, but, when the housing is open, thewatch may be moved either by simple pivotal movement on the hingeconnection 2'! into the position shown in dotted lines in this figure,or it may be bodily moved with the link into the dot and dash linepositions shown. In either case this movement of the watch is broughtabout manually or by tilting the device, so that the watch will come outby gravity. The advantage of the pivotal movements shown is that theyrender the watch more convenient for winding, for in both cases, thewinding stem I1 is projected ext-eriorly of the housing.

In the structure of Figures 5, 8 and 9, the arrangement is very similarto that hereinbefore described, but with the exception that the link 26is omitted entirely, and means is provided for automatically tilting thewatch when the sections are opened. Thus by reference to Figures 5, 8and 9, it will be noted that the Watch I1 is secured by a pivotalconnection 28 directly to one of the supporting platforms l6 whichcorresponds to the supports l6. With this arrangement, the watch ismounted for simple pivotal movement into the exposed position shown inFigure 8, when the clam shell sections are open.

Moreover, this movement from retracted to exposed position isaccomplished automatically by providing on one of the clam shellsections an operating arm 29 which underlies the watch near the pivot28. When the section I0 swings outwardly on the hinge pin 9, the arm 29will be tilted upwardly and automatically move the watch into theposition shown in Figure 8. As the section It! closes, the arm 29retracts and the Watch descends into its normally retracted positionwithin the housing. Other means for antomatically pivoting the watch maybe used, but

for this purpose. Aside from the modified form of pivotal attachment ofthe watch within the" housing and the automatic pivotal movement of suchwatch, the structure of Figures 5, 8 and 9 is the same as that shown inthe other figures of the drawings.

In the foregoing detailed description, I have set forth two practicalforms of the present invention. I am aware, however, that these formsmay be modified as to shape, size, etc., and by the substitution ofequivalents without departing from the invention. In any case, the watchis normally housed in concealed position within a closed protectivecasing, operable at the will of the operator to open and permit viewingand winding of the watch. At all other times, the watch is completelyenclosed and safeguardedagainst damage.

The invention has many practical advantages, particularly in connectionwith military watches having luminous dials for the invention preferablyprovides a solid wall housing so that, under normal conditions, thewatch is so concealed that even the luminous dial cannot show in thenight to be seen by the enemy and at the same time damage to the watchby direct contact with extraneous objects is precluded.

I have referred particularly to a watch within the protective housing.For military use, however, a luminous dial compass may be substitutedfor the watch within the housing to facilitate navigation andreconnoitering and the claims are to be understood as commensurate withthis concept.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An assembly of the character described comprising a housing havingpivotal sections mounted on a common pivot and movable toward and awayfrom one another from open to closed position and vice versa, a watchnormally positioned within the housing, a spring normally tending toopen said sections, and finger operable levers bearing against theexterior of said sections and spring pressed to normally hold saidsections in closed position, said levers being manually retractable topermit the sections to open.

2. An assembly of the character described comprising a housing havingopposed pivotal sections mounted on a common pivot and movable towardand away from one another from open to closed position and vice versa, awatch normally positioned within the housing and pivotally supportedtherein, a spring normally tending to open said sections, and fingeroperable levers bearing against the exterior of said sections and springpressed to normally hold said sections in closed position, said leversbeing manually retractable to permit the sections to open and to permitthe Watch to be pivotally moved into a position to project at leastpartially beyond the confines of the housing.

3. An assembly of the character described comprising a housing havingopposed pivotal sections mounted on a common pivot and movable towardand away from one another from open to closed position and vice versa, awatch normally positioned within the housing and pivotally supportedtherein, a spring normally tending to open said sections, fingeroperable levers bearing against the exterior of said sections and springpressed to normally hold said sections in closed position, said leversbeing manually retractable to permit the sections to open, and a watchprojecting member secured to one of the sections and movable therewithto pivotally project the watch into a position to at least partiallyproject beyond the confines of the housing when said sections areopened.

ALBERT J. PUJOL.

